Tuesday, May 20, 2014

School Grounds Spruced Up

It was a combined effort among Wrentham FOREST, several local companies and Wrentham PTO to beautify the elementary schools and clean up some of the dangerous tree limbs hanging precariously from above.

The work was done on the first Saturday of May and involved the relocation of an evergreen tree, much needed pruning, mulching of garden beds around the Delaney School and removal of invasive plant species that started to call the bus loop home. And it wasn't just a few hours of community service, it was a long full day of hard, back breaking work. "They started around 7:30 in the morning, and stayed until 4," says Marj Immomen, Wrentham FOREST volunteer.

This wasn't the first time Wrentham FOREST and PTO partnered to clean up the school campus. Four years, the two groups joined forces do similar work. "That was really a great day," Immomen says.

The success of that effort still in the back of her mind, she rallied the groups once more. "I had in my mind doing some kind of big project at the school," she says.

The result was the combination of volunteers with the experience and skill of several professional landscapers and arborists.

Landscape America took on the task of relocating an evergreen from the Wrentham Elementary School campus to the edge of Sweatt Fields, right near the rock commemorating the Longest Baseball Game. The landscape crew did the entire tree relocation by hand digging to avoid damaging the area with heavy equipment. They also spent part of the pruning crabapple trees in front of Delaney.

Additional pruning was done by Green Trees Arborcare and the local company removed several dead tree limbs hanging dangerously above the school's bus loop. There was also a number of dead trees that were removed from the area. Terra Prima Landscape Service provided assistance with tree work and removal of invasive plant material.

Wrentham PTO volunteers spent most of their efforts working on the flower beds in front of the Delaney School along with Natural Tree and Lawn Care. The lawn company, which focus on environmentally friends lawn products, delivered mulch that was spread throughout the gardens facing Taunton St.

The grounds are safer with the removal of the dead trees and tree limbs. The gardens are in better shape with new mulch and the entrance to Sweatt Fields has a nice tree to welcome guests. Immomen hopes to make some more improvements by turning the volunteer day into a yearly tradition. "We hope to make this an annual thing," she says.

All photos taken by Ellen Keiter. To view more photo visit a photo album from the day here.